How to fix leaking reducing bushing?

[Chassis]

This is for a toilet supply. The toilet supply valve is connected to the water supply via a close nipple and a threaded reducing bushing. The nipple has teflon tape on both ends (valve end and bushing end), and is not leaking. The bushing is threaded into a copper fitting, which in turn is sweated onto the supply piping. There is a leak at the interface between the bushing (male threads) and copper fitting (female threads). The copper fitting has a wrenching hex formed into it. The hex is slightly above the rough floor, which is concrete backerboard.

I have felt the female threads with my finger and I think a few threads are buggered. Last night I was able to stop the leaking by using pipe dope (paste) and a prodigious amount of teflon tape over the dope.

How can I make a good repair on this? Is there an equivalent of a "Helicoil" in the plumbing world? What about stem packing material? I want to avoid unsweating the hex/buggered threads fitting because I can't get access due to the CBU/plywood, which I don't want to remove because I just put the d**n stuff down. Plus the CBU is thinsetted to the plywood so it will be a ballbuster to get out.

Thanks for any advice.

 

[Finnegan]

I would have done exactly what you did. I few wraps of tape and heavy on the pipe dope. If the threads are not so bad that you are still able to screw the fitting in, they should be good enough to stop water. Are you sure you have the nipple far enough into the femal end? If it is not leaking, keep an eye on it. Perhaps it worked.

Another option if the above does not work: Do you think it is possible to solder threaded fittings? If th female threads are not grabbing the male threads sufficiently, what if you remove the nipple (I assume this is galvanized) and replace with a male copper fitting, clean and flux the existing female fitting and new male fitting, screw together and then sweat the assembly as you would a traditional copper connection. You could then stub out from there for your valve. I have no idea if this would work as I have never tried it, but you could always buy a couple of fittings and give a practice test.

Good luck.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Plumber1]

valve

The best repair is to put a 1/2" brass nipple into the copper adapter and then screw a 1/2" supply to it and use a flexible supply.
Not good to mix copper with iron pipe.

 

[Chassis]

Thanks folks. The supply is copper and the reducer is brass. The nipple is chrome plated, but I'm guessing it's brass under the chrome. No galvanized as far as I know. For now the "lots of dope and feet of tape" is working. I have to remove/reinstall the valve one more time for tile but hopefully the repair will work again.

So I take it there is no such thing as an NPT "Helicoil"?

 

[hj]

leak

No helicoils. But what size is the copper tubing if you have to use a reducer before you can attach the valve?